Coedor
Coedor is a landlocked state located in central Gondala. It was established in 2556 4A, after the land seceded from Asàel, effectively dissolving the union. The capital city of Coedor is Coed, a city located on river Eduin, one of the historic Three Thrones of the Asatic Empire and by far the most populous settlement in the country. The most widely spoken language in Coedor is the Coeric language and Low Tarmanian language. The closely related Gádenian language is spoken in the north-western province of Goaden, while the southern borderlands are often settled by speakers of the Arazi language and, less often, by speakers of the Nelean language, another closely related language. Arazi and Beringian are widely known second languages all throughout the state. Etymology The name of the state is derived from the name of the capital city, Coed. The etymology of Coed itself is uncertain and often presumed to be of Pre-Asatic origin; the etymology of the second part, -(d)or, is usually believed to be inspired by analogy with the name of the Kingdom of Aradór Geography and Climate Coedor is a landlocked country. The geography of Coedor is dominated by mountain ranges: the comparatively low and eroded Ėmuílluina and Fuilluina ranges, the slightly higher Castemár that connects to the Terratuens and the Nelean Highland rising in the very south of Coedor. However, most of the country if comparatively flat and fertile plain, primarily the Vale of Morduin, also called the Central Coeric Plain, following the river Morduin in its path from the Terratuens to Lake Aodaich and finally to Eduin. In the south, the valleys of Bawtsu (called Baose in Coeric) and Haltwen (Holluin) also intersect the country. In the Southwestern part of Coedor, near the Beringian border, between the Nelean Highlands, Fuilluina and the Súrmell range, lies Lake Meldach, a large and very deep fresh water lake. Southern Coedor is warm-temperate with comparatively mild summers and winters alike. Further north, the continental characteristics of the climate become much more pronounced with hot, dry summers and cold, snow-rich winters. As a result, the range of temperature experienced can be rather large, from minus 30 degrees Celsius in the dead of winter in the mountains to plus 30 in the second half of summer in the Vale of Morduin. Economy The Coeric economy was historically based on agriculture, but, over time, mining, lumbering, production and services have risen to take their place in the economy. Overall, Coedor has a powerful and well-developed, diverse economy that is very trade-driven and export-oriented. Agriculture Crops and trees The staple cereals of Coedor are wheat and barley. Rye is also widely grown, and so are oats. Coeric farmers also grow a lot of other vegetables, like cabbage, rutabaga and turnips, and pulses, namely varieties of broad bean and field peas. Coers take pride in their beer-making traditions, but, arguably, the country is more famous for its fruit wines: * treghdell / trédell (Coeric: "little plum"): a dry, red / purplish wine made of plums that resemble damson plums and sloes. Trédell is made all throughout Coedor and the drink has rich tradition of brewing. However, it probably originated as an attempt to imitate imported grape wine from Aradór. * tuiprell ("little apple") - a sweater, more alcoholic wine / cider made of apples. Tuiprell brewing traditions are ancient, dating to well before any trade could have brought Arazi wine to Coers. Several specialized cultivars of apples exist that have been selected over the course of centuries to the purpose of making tuiprell; these cultivars are often carefully guarded. * dandenell ("little pear") - a usually dry or semi-dry, moderately alcoholic pear cider / wine, made primarily in Southwestern Coedor (around Lake Meldach, e.g. in the towns of Mellėia, Palliàu or Duisfell); the drink is heavily associated with the region it is made in and is relatively rare in the rest of Coedor. Some grape wine is also produced in Coedor, but in little quantity and usually of poor quality; grape wine is typically imported from Aradór, Beringion or Nelea. Understandably, orchards of plums, apples and pears are a common sight in Coedor, particularly in more hilly terrain on the foothills of the Ėmuílluina and other ranges. Cherries (usually Prunus avium) are grown for private consumption, as are nuts - hazelnuts and walnuts. Lifestock Cattle and sheep are the bred for milk, meat and wool. Goats are common, too. Chickens and various breeds of domesticated ducks are also kept for eggs, meat and down. Breeding of pigs is very common and often an important part of rural economy. Horses serve as the primary source of transport and labor. Horse meat is often eaten is available, but horses are never bred for the purpose of eating. Wood Coedor has a flourishing timbering industry, growing and cutting a multitude of trees, including oak, pine, spruce, maple and others. Most of the lumber is used in production of building materials, tools and furniture in Coedor itself, but a part of it is exported, primarily to Nelea. Naturally, wood is also used as a fuel and a raw material for production of paper. Mining The mountain ranges that are offshoots of the Dragon Mountains, namely, Fuilluina and Castemár, are rich is copper, gold and iron deposits. Coal is found throughout the country; as a result, the steel industry is blooming. The gems mined in the Terratuens are used to craft artisan jewelry. History Ancient Coeric History * Main article: Tribal Coedor The people that would later become Coers, migrating from the East, settled the territory of Coedor in varying degrees of density, creating both populous areas and virtually uninhabited stretches of land. Political and economical power would eventually start concentrating in the more populous areas, leading to creation of tribes and clans. By the fourth century 4A, there were twelve to thirteen such tribes that are recognized as Ancient Coers: # Reminnia, in the territory of modern Beringion, with the center in the town of Remas; # Aiscesia, around Lake Meldach; # Spertia, northern edges of the Fuilluina; # Gádenesia, western Coedor, with the center in Baldastun (modern Bolthen) # Peliasia, southern Coedor; # Norrula; southeastern Coedor; # Rediausia and Porluda, on the eastern coast of river Eduin; these tribes seem to have frequently united and separated; # Scaballa, around Lake Aodaich and eastern vale of Morduin, with the center in Sciobios # Mardella, central vale of Morduin, centered on Maranne; # Galadesia, northwestern Coedor; # Tulúnda, northern Coedor, with the center in Tulún; # Cuellia, with the center in Conannas. The ancient period, sometimes called the Coeric Bronze Age, saw the rise of several union between the tribes in an attempt to establish centralized states, but most of such union failed, as did the majority of military campaigns that aimed to expand the influence of one tribe or another. By 8th century 4A, however, several tribes had acquired substantially more power than others. For example, the Norrula, Rediauisa and Cuellia had profited greatly from trade on Eduin, Reminnia's power and wealth stemmed from the trade routes and access to the Western Sea, while Mardella had the advantage of fertile soil and comparatively large population. Most of the other tribes had become satellites to these few. By the 11th century 4A, Norrula had cemented their control on other South-Eastern tribes and had essentially become a kingdom, having invaded and subdued the Peliasia. Similarly, Rediauisa extended its influence to fully assimilate the Porluda; it seems that the Scaballa paid tribute to the Rediausia at this point in history. Mardella's zone of influence included Spertia, Gádenesia and Galadesia. On the other hand, the Reminnia seems to have been loosing power and gradually conquered by the creeping kingdom of Shanida from the south. In the middle 14 century 4A, the expansion of Arazi kingdoms to the south became increasingly more aggressive, leading to Peliasia and parts of Norrula being conquered by the Kingdom of Araero, Aiscesia by Nelea and the remaining territory of Reminnia being fully annexed by Shanida. This was soon followed by an influx of Machoric people from the east that subdued the remaining, free parts of Norrula, while the Coeric tribes continued struggling among themselves: the regional, periodical conflicts between Rediausia and Mardella had grown to a serious, long and devastating war. At the same time, Tulúnda conquered Cuellia and started its own war against Mardella over the control of Galadesia. Tusfete under the Asatic Empire * Main article: Asatic Empire, Tusfete The turmoil of the 14th century was ended in the beginning of the 15th century 4A, as the Kingdom of Araero conquered the Arazi kingdom of Shanida, along with the Shanidazi-occupied Reminnia in 1412 4A. Shortly afterwards, the Arazi weakened Nelea by assassinating its king and conquered the country in the ensuing chaos. This granted a brief period of independence to Aiscesia, that was shortly afterwards terminated, as Araero invaded Ascesia in 1420 and conquered it in matter of a few months. In 1440, the Asatic Empire crossed the Fuilluina and invaded Spertia, lead by Emperor Tus the Terrible, provoking the wrath of Mardella. However, the proto-state was weakened by the war with Rediausia and Tulúnda, and Mardella, Spertia, and Gádenesia were all under Asatic control in 1456. Tus proclaimed Maranne, the previous capital of Mardella, to be the administrative center of the conquered provinces, and renamed the city Tustyúle - The City of Tus. The conquered lands were thence known as Tusfete At the same time, Tulúnda managed to cement its control over Galadesia, while Rediausia entered in an allience with the Asatic Empire as a safeguard from occupation, which prompted an uprising in Scaballa, which tore free of the Rediausia yoke. For a few a relatively peaceful decades, the Coeric people could rebuild their devastated lands. Scaballa formed an uneasy alliance with Tulúnda. In 1525, Rediausia "peacefully" joined the Asatic Empire, a move certainly orchestrated by agents of the Empire. In five years, the Imperial armies, led by Emperor Hristas the Beautiful, attacked Scaballa from the South, West and East, making large gains before Tulúnda joined the war on the side of Scaballa. Together, they managed to stop the Asatic expansion in northern Scaballa. A truce was signed, confirming the borders as they were at the moment. Starting from 1533, a series of forest fires ravaged Scaballa. It was soon followed by a famine caused by a sudden spread of a fungus that destroyed food reserves in Scaballa and Tulúnda. The Asatic Empire offered assistance in the form of cheaply traded food and manpower to deal with the consequences, on the condition that Scaballa join the Empire. The current leader of Scaballa, Mardac na Sciobe, agreed. At this time, the Empire started massive investment into the occupied provinces, i.e. Tusfete. Quality roads were built to connect towns and cities, massive fortifications were erected, and Arazi engineers helped design the irrigation systems for vast spaces of Coeric land. Emperor Hristas advocated that the Arazi people and the Coers are fundamentally related, an ideology he shared with Emperor Tus the Terrible and which was unwillingly accepted by the occupied people not because of resentment towards the Aras but because of a lack of a united identity as Coers among themselves, as the several tribes, although recognising cultural and linguistic similarities, had largely viewed themselves as separate, independent peoples. Eventually, Hristas won at least some kind of local support through his unwavering commitment to investment in Tusfete. The increased flow of goods and capital to and from the south brought rapid economic growth; the Asatic alphabet was adapted for the Coeric language, an influx of Arazi people brought several new crops and breeds of animals and Coeric smiths were introduced to iron working. Hristas moved the capital of the province from the centrally located Tustyúle to a small settlement between the river Eduin and Lake Aodaich - Coed, which was later known as Hristatyúle, because of the trade potential he saw in the place. After Hristas' death 1571, the amount of investments significantly diminished but never ceased. Meanwhile, Tulúnda established military alliances with the recently founded kingdom of Duin Ínah. At the same time, southern Galadesia broke away from Tulúnda and became a group of independent, semi-organised city-states that primarily were sustained by the flow of trade from the Empire. In 1620 4A, General Mastuta launched another war, the so-called Third Coeric Campaign, that led to these city states being conquered and added to the Empire. When the general attacked the rest of Galadesia, it provoked the anger of Tulúna and for the first time brought Duin Ínah into the conflict. The resulting wars lasted until 1635, when General Mastuta finally subjugated Tulúnda, which was the last Coeric land to be added to the Asatic Empire. The General later continued moving north into the lands of Duin Ínah. All the Coeric lands, unified under the Empire as the province of Tusfete, enjoyed an unprecedented period of peace and growth both in terms of population and economic wealth until the climate experienced a rapid drop of temperatures following 1991 4A, causing famine and spread of disease and sparking popular unrest in Eastern and Central Tusfete, which, by this time, had become one of the richest and most influential regions of the Empire. The climate normalised after five years, having already left a huge scar in the economy of the whole Empire, and several abnormally cold years were still experienced at random for the next century. In 2056, after Emperor Luidare III order an execution of Seturh leaders, a wave of protests swept through the Northern and Central Empire in response to several years of despotic, tyrannic rule. These were met by violent repressions and military intervention, which resulted in the murder of several prominent Coeric thinkers and nobles. The Empire's economy continued to plummet throughout the 21st and 22nd centuries 4A. This, accentuated by the spectacular military failure of Emperor Dauta Rá's the Foolish attempted invasion of Amurón, sparked several other rounds of unrest, as the status of the Empire was crippled in the eyes of its people. Dauta Rá's granddaughter, Empress Araiśa fan Relesári attempted to normalise the relationship with the Seturhs and the Qulats as well as to stimulate the economy, but her attempts were sabotaged and eventually led to her assassination, resulting in the collapse of the Empire in 2135 4A, as the Kingdom of Ínah, Seturhion and Qulion seceded, and the Empress'es brother Atsa fan Relesári was crowned the King of the Lands of the Aras and the Coers, ushering a new era - that of Asàel. Asàel * Main article: Asàel Shortly after the dissolution of the Empire, King Atsa married a Coeric noble woman, Nemaine na Ruin, of a very influential and rich family. As a part of Atsa's plan to battle the economic recession, the administrative management of the state was reformed, essentially becoming feudal, based on fiefs (Arazi: humdori, Coeric: uomdor) and vassals (Arazi: raśtuńa, Coeric: rasituini). The rasituinia, the vassals or the Asàelese nobility, rapidly increased in number as a class due to continued reforms, and the new, decentralized system started bringing about results soon. Later on, in late 22nd century, another caste of nobility - the magne - the rasituinia represented in the Asàelese Council, emerged. In 2215-2221 and 2227-2239 two internal conflicts broke out in Southern Asàel - the Between-Rivers - , namely the Nummure - Astfeli War and the Bürad Campaign - that sent a large number of refugees into Coedor. The ongoing conflicts in the south periodically sent an influx of refugees to the North; these people were generally well integrated into the Coeric culture, which at the same time started forming a united identity. In 2355, some parts of South-Eastern Tusfete, by then already commonly known as Coedor, that were populated by a large number of Seturh people, rebelled and declared independence, only to join Seturhion. Similarly, in 2360, the same happened in the North, with some territories ceding to Qulion. Both of these led to military action against the ceding states, but both of these campaigns were unsuccessful and served only to destabilise the situation in Coedor. Magorian Expansion and the Years of Shame (2377 - 2533) In 2377 4A, Magorion exploited the weakened state of Asàel and initiated an invasion. The first provinces to fall were in Northern Shanida, followed by the Coeric provinces of Gádenys (roughly corresponding to the previous Gádenesia) and Galaduise (roughly previous Galadesia) in 2379. The local Coeric lords put up formidable resistance and were able to stop the expansion by 2400, after losing Western Coedor, more than half of the whole territory. The Magorian expansion continued south after that until 2436, until it finally stopped after conquering the Dry Plain. The Asàelese Council, dominated by Eastern Arazi nobles, was not able to agree on a united response to the invasion, and in 2470 4A, a truce was signed by King Stáve II fan Relesári. However, partisan resistance in the occupied territories never really stopped. In 2515, a group of Coers led by magne Chàillan na Mareon burned the local Magorian administration buildings and killed the statesmen; this sparked a series of similar uprisings throughout occupied Asàel. In 2533, a revolt in Central Aradór was met by a bloody backlash from Magorion, sparking massive violence in Asàel and kickstarting the Asàelese War of Freedom, which ended in 2538 after reconquering all Asàelese lands. However, the lands first occupied by Magorion had already seen a large influx of Magorian colonists, leaving the administration of Asàel to deal with the new people. Coeric Autonomy The aftermath of the war brought an unprecedented rise of nationalist ideas and solidarity in Coedor. The movement was supported by the local nobles and zealously embraced by the general populace. After the War of Tiger and Stag, yet another internal conflict in Aradór, this time over control of the Dry Belt, which lead to a sweeping victory of Eastern nobles supported by Empress Davíno fan Relesári and her allies from now mostly Magorian-populated Northern Shanida, the Queen initiated a series of reforms (see: Davíno's Reforms) to expand the royal autonomy and re-centralise the power. This was supported by Eastern Arazi nobles, while the Coeric nobles expressed deep dissatisfaction with the events and demonstratively left the Asàelese Council in both 2548 and 2550. The Coeric nobles organised among themselves and formed their own governmental institution - the Coeric Council - in 2551. Queen Davíno was notified that the Coeric nobles no longer intend to be subject to the Asàelese Council or the authority of the throne of Araero. After months of negotiation, the Queen and a Coeric representative, the noble Naobruin na Mareon, an agreement was reached that granted Coedor complete authority in domestic and economic matters, while limiting military and foreign affairs to the joint Asàelese competence. The system of governance involved the Queen, the Asàelese Council (without Coeric representatives) and the Coeric Council. However, the Queen died shortly afterwards and was succeeded by her son, King Raila fan Relesári, who was intent on retaking control over Coedor. As at the time Coedor was actively engaged in combating the separatist Gádenys and Galaduise, that had shortly been reinstated as parts of Coedor after the War of Freedom, the king used this as a pretext to declare that Coedor has been acting outside of its competences. King Raila renounced the autonomy and declared all of Coedor to be direct subject to the Throne, effectively destroying Coeric nobility as a class, in early 2555. This sparked an armed response from Coedor. General Candar Muistais led an army towards Aradór. In the summer of 2555, the armies met in Northern Between-Rivers. However, the battle never ensued, as King Raila was struck by a lightning and killed on sight. In the following chaos, a piece treaty was reached. When Raila's son, King Scata was crowned, he acknowledged Coedor's autonomy in accordance to the treaty reached by Davíno. Both General Candar and noble Naobruin agitated that this was not enough. Risking further military confrontation, Naobruin came to the King in 2556 to inform him that Coedor is formally proclaiming full independence and severing all ties to Asàel, the King and the Throne. King Scata accept the ultimatum and reportedly wished luck with the new country. In two month, the Coeric Council elected the first King of Coedor, which, by vast majority, turned out to be General Candar Muistais. Kingdom of Coedor * Main article: Kingdom of Coedor The Kingdom of Coedor, established in 2556 4A, maintained roughly the same borders as the Asàelese province of Coedor / Tusfete. However, some changes had happened, namely: * Gádenys and Galaduise kept their independence and continued existing as sovereign states; * parts of northern Shanida were given to Coedor as a "historical reparation of the injustice done to the Coeric people through the conquering, occupation and subduing of the tribe of Reminnia", a move that Coedor insisted on very heavily to secure access to the Western Sea. One of the first few things the elected King Candar Muistais did was normalise relationships with the neighbouring countries, which mostly meant recognising separatist states as rightfully independent. Even though the move was very unpopular, it was deemed to be necessary by both the king and the Coeric Council. In 2568, King Candar drafted a written set of rules for the Kingdom of Coedor, essentially a constitution, that explained the regulations for electing a king or queen and their powers and how the Coeric Council should be constituted and what are their powers. Shortly afterwards, he abdicated, and another election made the noble Chàillan na Falledh the new king. King Chàillan na Falledh amended the constitution, creating another governmental institution in Coedor - another Council - and slightly reorganising the previous council. Chàillan's system consisted of the King as the head of state and two chambers of parliament: # Council of Magnes (Ci'avódhe na magnėia) - the reformed Coeric Council, consisting of the local rasituinia who represent the nobles of all the provinces of the Kingdom of Coedor; the exact number of representatives varied a lot due to fluctuations in the feudal systems, but generally was somewhere around 40 to 50; # Parliament of the People (Ca Mathmor nach Suarr) - the newly formed council that consisted of representatives from every province, elected by an assembly of citizens (men aged 20 or more); the original number was set to 200 but was later increased to 246.Category:States Category:Coedor Category:History of Coedor